Eighteen-time Grammy Award winner CeCe Winans will bring her largest headlining tour to date to Fishers this fall.

Winans’ “Come Worship!” Tour stops at the Fishers Event Center on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. The evening will feature special guests Charity Gayle, Red Worship and Terrian. Tickets are on sale now through the Fishers Event Center website.

Organizers describe the tour as a multi-generational call to unity, inviting people of all ages and backgrounds for a night centered on worship and community. The concert will blend gospel classics, contemporary worship favorites and spontaneous moments designed to create what promoters call a unified, arena-scale worship experience.

Winans is widely regarded as the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time. Over a career spanning decades, she has earned 18 Grammy Awards, 31 Dove Awards and 19 Stellar Awards. She has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Nashville Music City Walk of Fame. Her crossover hit “Count on Me,” a duet with Whitney Houston from the “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack, reached the Top 10 across multiple charts.

Her recent albums, Believe For It and More Than This, have generated more than 1 billion streams and downloads worldwide and fueled a global tour run of more than 100 shows over the past two years.

Joining Winans in Fishers, Charity Gayle is known for worship anthems such as “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” and “I Speak Jesus,” while Red Worship is the musical collective of Redemption Church in San Jose, California. Terrian, a Memphis native and former member of TobyMac’s Diverse City band, has emerged as one of Christian music’s rising voices, earning Dove Award and K-LOVE Fan Award nominations.

The Fishers Event Center, which opened in November 2024 with a capacity of 7,500, hosts concerts and sporting events and serves as home to several professional teams.

A plea agreement has been reached in the case of Trey Williams, 18, in connection with a fatal crash on March 1, 2025.

According to a report by television station WTHR, attorneys for Williams and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office have agreed that Williams will plead guilty to reckless homicide. In exchange, prosecutors will dismiss charges of reckless driving and false informing.

The case stems from a crash that claimed the life of Mason Alexander, 18, a graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School. The crash occurred in the 10000 block of Florida Road near Geist Park.

Under the terms of the plea agreement as reported by WTHR, Williams would receive a six-year sentence, with no more than three years to be served at the Indiana Department of Correction. The judge would have discretion to suspend part or all of the sentence and to apply credit for time already served.

The agreement also calls for Williams to serve two years of probation and have his driving privileges suspended for five years.

A change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11.

Read the WTHR story at this link

Several major pieces of legislation affecting Fishers and communities across Indiana are now law, and they are the focus of this week’s Fridays With Larry podcast.

In the February 27 edition, I review the swift passage of Hailey’s Law at the Indiana General Assembly. Named for Fishers teen Hailey Buzzbee, the new law expands the scope for law enforcement to issue Amber and Silver Alerts in cases involving missing children and vulnerable individuals. Lawmakers approved the measure with broad bipartisan support.

Another law is a statewide policy restricting student cell phone use during the school day inside school buildings, with limited exceptions. I outline what the new requirements mean for local school districts and families.

In addition, I touch on recently approved state incentives designed to position Indiana as a potential landing spot for the Chicago Bears. The governor has already signed the incentive framework into law, raising questions about whether Northwest Indiana could become home to an NFL franchise.

My guest this week is John Wechsler, CEO of the Fishers-based company Spokenote. We discuss his firm’s development of “dynamic video” technology, designed to help nonprofits, sports organizations and other groups communicate in a more personalized way at scale.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch and/or listen to the February 27 edition of Fridays With Larry at this link and this link if you just want to listen….or use the links below.

As the Fishers Freight prepare to open their second season in the Indoor Football League, Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten says this year feels much different from the first.

In this podcast conversation, Wooten reflects on how last season ended — with the Freight winning their final five games — and why that late surge created momentum heading into 2026. He discusses the importance of continuity, noting that 15 players from that strong finishing squad are returning for year two.

Wooten also explains the difference between building an expansion franchise from scratch and managing expectations in a second season, when systems are in place and competition intensifies. Training camp, he says, will feature spirited battles at some positions, particularly on defense.

We also asked Wooten about developments around the league, including the Bay Area franchise going dormant. Having previously been on the coaching staff of a Bay Area team that won an IFL championship, Wooten offers perspective on the challenges franchises face in today’s indoor football landscape.

Finally, Wooten addresses the league’s new television arrangements for the upcoming season and what fans can expect in terms of broadcast coverage.

The Freight open training camp soon, with the regular season home opener set for Saturday, March 14 at 5 p.m.

This podcast series is sponsored by Citizens Sate Bank.

Listen to the podcast at this link or the link below.

Country-rock standout Koe Wetzel will bring his Night Champion World Tour to the Fishers Event Center on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, as part of a 45-city summer and fall headlining run.

Wetzel will be joined by special guests Corey Kent, Bayker Blankenship and Logan Jahnke.

Fans can register now for early access to tickets at TheNightChampionWorldTour.com. Artist presale begins March 10 at 10 a.m. local time, with general ticket sales opening March 13 at 10 a.m.

Pollstar has described Wetzel as a “firebrand live sensation,” and the East Texas native is known for concerts he calls “total chaos.” His rise from Texas dive bars to sold-out amphitheaters and arenas has been swift. More than 250,000 fans attended his 2024 Damn Near Normal Tour.

Wetzel said the Night Champion Tour reflects a new chapter in his life.

“It’s kind of crazy that I’m not dead or in jail with everything that’s gone on in my life,” he said in a release. “Coming into 2026 and this tour, I feel like I’m the best version of myself I’ve ever been. I survived the night side of me. I’m coming out of it a champion.”

The tour will feature new songs including “Surrounded” and “Time Goes On,” along with his 3x Platinum, five-week No. 1 country radio hit “High Road.” Fans can also expect favorites such as “February 28, 2016,” which has inspired the unofficial “Koe Wetzel Day” marking its 10th anniversary this week.

Wetzel’s 2024 album 9 Lives earned Gold certification and year-end recognition from major music publications. Over his career, he has blended country, rock and grunge influences, amassing more than 4 billion streams.

Opened in November 2024, the 7,500-seat Fishers Event Center has quickly become a hub for major touring acts in central Indiana.

More information and ticket details are available at KoeWetzelMusic.com.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools administrators delivered a mid-year academic update to the school board Wednesday night, offering a detailed review of student performance across the district.

Following adjournment of its regular meeting, where official action is taken, the board moved into a work session devoted to presentations.

Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Jason Urban and Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning Danielle Fetters Thompson outlined district data and trends, painting a largely positive picture of academic achievement.

While the full scope of the report is extensive — a link to the complete presentation is included at the end of this story — several key takeaways stood out:

• At nearly every grade level measured, HSE students are performing well above the Indiana state average on standardized assessments.

• The district’s graduation rate has held steady at approximately 98 percent over the past four years. Urban credited much of that success to the work of the HSE Academy, which serves students who may be struggling in a traditional high school setting and provides additional academic support to keep them on track for graduation.

• Participation and success in Advanced Placement (AP) coursework remain strong. A significant number of students are enrolling in AP classes — college-level courses offered in high school — and earning qualifying scores on end-of-course exams that can translate into college credit.

• The new “Networks” model for high school freshmen is receiving positive feedback. The program groups students into career-interest pathways early in their high school experience. Administrators reported that many students appear more engaged in their coursework once they are enrolled in a path aligned with their interests.

Student performance in HSE Schools has remained consistently strong for years. The data presented Wednesday suggest that trend is continuing, reflecting sustained effort by students, staff and families across the district.

You can review the entire, detailed presentation to the board at this link.

A procedural dispute at the close of the latest school board meeting has led to dueling public statements from a board member and the board president over governance and transparency.

As Board President Tiffany Pascoe adjourned the regular meeting, board member Latrica Schooley asked for a point of personal privilege to read a prepared statement. Schooley said the statement addressed what she described as a “serious governance issue” related to district contracts.

Schooley argued she should be allowed to speak at the end of the regular session. Pascoe responded that Schooley would need to make a separate motion in order to read her statement. No such motion was taken up, and Schooley was not permitted to speak before adjournment.

After the meeting, Schooley released her prepared remarks to LarryInFishers.

In her statement, Schooley said she attempted to address what she called “a severe breakdown in our board’s governance and financial oversight,” but was “interrupted by the Board President and prevented from speaking on the public record.”

Her concerns center on what she described as an admitted administrative oversight involving a contract that violated district policy D08.01. She said she formally requested a review of the matter and asked for access to all 2025 contracts exceeding $150,000 to ensure compliance with State Board of Accounts guidelines. Schooley noted that while state guidelines reference a $50,000 limit, district policy was amended in 2024 to raise the threshold to $150,000.

Schooley further alleged that the board president unilaterally removed the D08.01 contract violation from a committee agenda without full board review and claimed she faced hostility and retaliation, including removal from committee assignments, after requesting broader board participation on the district’s upcoming Budget Task Force.

She said she would “continue to fulfill my fiduciary duties to the taxpayers, staff, and students of this district.”

On Wednesday morning, Pascoe addressed the incident in a social media post, citing parliamentary procedure.

“Under Robert’s Rules, a point of privilege must relate to the rights or ability of the board to conduct its business,” Pascoe wrote. “When asked whether the matter was related to the agenda, as it was clear there was nothing prohibiting the meeting to proceed, the clarification was not established from Ms. Schooley.”

Pascoe added that because the meeting was already running over its anticipated time and was in the midst of recognizing staff and student achievements, she ruled that the request did not qualify as a point of privilege.

“Board updates at our next scheduled meeting would be the appropriate time for Ms. Schooley to share her statement,” Pascoe wrote.

Here is the Latrica Schooley statement in full, followed by Tifany Pascoe’s social media post:

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Continue reading School Board Member Blocked from Reading Statement, Releases Allegations to Media →

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will contract with Ascension St. Vincent to provide behavioral health services beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

Community Health Network, which provides those services during the current school year, has notified the district it does not plan to renew its one-year agreement. Community will continue to provide nursing and athletic health services under a separate contract that runs through 2030.

Under the new agreement approved by the school board Wednesday, Ascension will provide 13 licensed therapists at a cost of $672,000 for the 2026-27 school year. The current Community contract costs the district $400,000 for 22 therapists.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown said that because of staff turnover, the district typically had 17 to 18 therapists available under the Community contract. He added that Community’s behavioral health services were part of a broader package of services provided to the district, which contributed to a lower overall cost for mental health care.

Brown told board members the Ascension proposal was the strongest of four bids considered by the administration.

Therapists currently employed by Community and working in HSE schools may apply for positions under the new Ascension contract.

The board approved the Ascension contract unanimously, with Juanita Albright abstaining.

The full contract is available at this link.

In other business Wednesday:

— Dr. Matt Kegley reviewed capacity for transfer students from other districts. A total of 914 seats are available across grade levels and buildings, although some schools are at capacity and unable to accept transfers. Students who transfer into HSE from another district generate just under $7,000 per student in state funding.  In the current school year, HSE has 99 transfer students. Details are available at this link.

— The district reminded residents that contributions to the Angel Fund are accepted year-round. The fund is used to eliminate school lunch debt for students and families at the end of the school year. Donations may be made at this link.

Fishers continues to position itself as a player in the fast-growing life sciences sector, and in this podcast conversation, Director of Economic and Community Development Megan Baumgartner explains how and why.

Baumgartner discusses the city’s efforts to attract and retain high-tech, high-wage employers, including companies such as INCOG BioPharma Services and the Italian-based Stevanato Group, both of which have established significant operations in Fishers. She outlines what makes the community competitive in the life sciences space — from infrastructure and workforce to strategic location — and how those assets fit into the city’s long-term economic development plans.

The conversation also takes listeners inside the process Fishers uses to evaluate requests for economic development incentives. Baumgartner explains what factors weigh most heavily in those decisions, how the city measures return on investment for taxpayers, and how accountability is built into incentive agreements.

Quality of life, she says, is not just a talking point but a central part of Fishers’ economic strategy. From parks and trails to schools and public safety, Baumgartner details how community amenities play a direct role in helping local companies recruit and retain talent.

The discussion also turns to the Indiana Statehouse, where lawmakers are considering proposals that could limit local control over land use and zoning decisions. Baumgartner shares her perspective on how such changes might affect growing communities like Fishers.

NOTE:  A previous post was linked to the wrong podcast and I apologize for the error.

You can listen to the full podcast conversation with Megan Baumgartner at this link or the link below.